The receiver injury hits will not stop.

This week, Brandon Aiyuk and Chris Godwin were lost to season-ending injuries while DK Metcalf, Mike Evans, and JuJu Smith-Schuster are likely looking at multiple-week absences.

Zay Flowers even picked up an ankle injury on Monday night that should be monitored.

There are some replacements available on the wire, but it has been a rough go for the receiver position through 7 weeks.

As a reminder, recommended adds are available in at least 60% of ESPN leagues, and the watch list consists of players worth monitoring.

The deep cuts section for running backs and receivers highlights players who are rostered in no more than 5% of ESPN leagues for all you “not in my league” degens.

I will not list recommended FAAB percentages for every player because that decision comes down to too many factors including league size, team weaknesses, and the aggressiveness of the other managers in your league.

That said, I will try to clarify when there is a player I am going big on in FAAB bidding.

Also, FAAB Lab is a great, crowdsourced way to get a feel for how much a player will cost in FAAB bidding each week.

Finally, I will not be ranking kickers and defenses because frankly I don’t care about them and want them to disappear from the game.

With those caveats out of the way, let’s get to it.

Best Quarterback Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 8

  1. Tua Tagovailoa
  2. Bo Nix
  3. Marcus Mariota

Best Running Back Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 8

  1. Alexander Mattison
  2. Tyler Goodson
  3. Kimani Vidal
  4. Braelon Allen
  5. Sean Tucker

Best Wide Receiver Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 8

  1. Romeo Doubs
  2. Jalen Tolbert
  3. Tre Tucker
  4. Rashod Bateman
  5. Jalen McMillan
  6. Trey Palmer
  7. Cedric Tillman
  8. Mason Tipton
  9. Jake Bobo
  10. Dontayvion Wicks
  11. Ricky Pearsall
  12. Sterling Shepard
  13. Bub Means

Best Tight End Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 8

  1. Hunter Henry
  2. Jonnu Smith
  3. Will Dissly
  4. Noah Fant
  5. Ja'Tavion Sanders

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Best Quarterback Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 8

1. Tua Tagovailoa – Available in 73.5% of leagues

All signs point to Tua returning this week. He was struggling against the Bills before suffering a concussion, and his 338 yards against the Jaguars are not as impressive in hindsight. Still, we know what the ceiling of this passing game is, and he has a great matchup against the Cardinals to get things going.

2. Bo Nix – Available in 83.9% of leagues

Nix has been a QB1 scorer in three of his last five games and could have had more success against the Saints if the game had been competitive. He still ran for 75 yards in that contest after going for 61 yards the week before. Now he gets the dream matchup against the Panthers. This spot is so obvious it almost certainly will blow up in our faces, but everything makes sense on paper.

3. Marcus Mariota – Available in 99.9% of leagues

There is no official word on whether Jayden Daniels will play through his rib injury, but the Commanders are likely to be cautious with their franchise guy. Mariota was excellent in relief of Daniels with the massive caveat it came against the Panthers. The matchup this week against the Bears should be much tougher, but Mariota’s rushing upside gives him a couple of outs as a streamer.

Watch List: Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jameis Winston obviously need to be added in 2QB leagues – Winston probably already has been – but the uncertainty of the situation makes it tough to recommend them in 1QB formats…Trevor Lawrence has played better the last several weeks, but the Packers are not a defense we have targeted this year. They just held C.J. Stroud to 86 yards on 21 attempts…Daniel Jones in Pittsburgh with the potential of a benching hanging over his head? I’ll pass…The Vikings pass defense has not been as dominant in the last several games, and the Rams are likely getting back Cooper Kupp on Thursday. Both of those are good things for Matthew Stafford, but I still would rather look elsewhere…Derek Carr is still uncertain for Week 8, and it probably does not make much sense to chase him against the plodding Chargers…Patriots fans have to love what they have seen from Drake Maye, but it is tough to run him out against even this diminished version of the Jets defense.

Best Running Back Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 8

1. Alexander Mattison – Available in 57.5% of leagues

I am cheating here because Mattison is slightly below my 60% threshold, but it is ROUGH at running back this week. Even with Zamir White back, Mattison handled 88.5% of the running back carries and ran 19 routes against the Rams. He is looking like a weekly FLEX option.

2. Tyler Goodson – Available in 91% of leagues

Goodson was a target for us last week, and he is worth a stash if possible this week given the uncertainty surrounding Jonathan Taylor. I do expect Taylor back this week, however, so do not go wild bidding for Goodson based on his touchdown.

3. Kimani Vidal – Available in 92.4% of leagues

With no game-changing running backs available on the wire, stashing backs like Braelon Allen or Vidal makes sense this week. J.K. Dobbins has dominated the backfield work, but we know what his injury history is. Vidal would step into a massive role if something happened to him.

4. Braelon Allen – Available in 71.6% of leagues

It is tough with the roster churn caused by injuries and bye weeks, but this is just your weekly reminder Allen is one of the best handcuff stashes in the league.

5. Sean Tucker – Available in 89% of leagues

I am still interested in stashing Tucker where possible because he once again looked great when given chances on Monday night, but as expected, Tucker was on the wrong side of Tampa’s three-way committee.

Watch List: Ezekiel Elliott did reclaim some backfield work before the bye, but he averaged 2.1 yards per carry. You are just hoping for a touchdown with him…Jaleel McLaughlin appears to have lost ground to Javonte Williams and has Audric Estime breathing down his neck…James Conner’s injury scare turned out to be nothing, putting Trey Benson back in the handcuff group…Blake Corum continues to work as the No. 2 back, but he is just a handcuff stash right now…Ray Davis is also in that handcuff stash group with James Cook back healthy…Travis Etienne looked close to playing in Week 7 and should supplant D’Ernest Johnson’s passing role once he is back…Roschon Johnson is not pushing D’Andre Swift for the starting job given the way Swift was playing before the bye…With Tua Tagovailoa expected back and likely to get the Dolphins offense moving, Jaylen Wright has more upside as a handcuff…Carson Steele did get some carries against the 49ers, but he is clearly No. 2 in the pecking order for early down work…He will need an injury ahead of him, but Kendre Miller is at least healthy and getting some carries.

Deep Cuts: It remains unclear when Keaton Mitchell will be able to return, but his explosiveness would be interesting if he could eat into Justice Hill’s role behind Derrick Henry…Audric Estime is closing the gap on Jaleel McLaughlin for that No. 2 job in Denver…Jeremy McNichols saw most of his work in the second half of Washington’s blowout win in Week 7, but he has at least established himself as next in line behind Brian Robinson Jr.

Best Wide Receiver Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 8

1. Romeo Doubs – Available in 63% of leagues

There still could be some fluctuations in this loaded receiving corps, but Doubs leads the team with 14 targets over the last two games and is simply on the field more than Green Bay’s other receivers. We have a longer history of Doubs running a lot of routes but not getting targeted – he was 48th among qualifying receivers in target rate per route last season – but it is fair to wonder if things have changed since the one-game suspension. The matchup this week against the Jaguars also helps his cause.

2. Jalen Tolbert – Available in 73.1% of leagues

I assume the bye had something to do with Tolbert being available in so many leagues. With Cooks out in the two games before the bye, Tolbert had 18% of the targets for a team that is eighth in neutral pass rate and should probably lean more into the pass given the state of their running game.

3. Tre Tucker – Available in 82.8% of leagues

Tucker has been disappointing since being a hot name on the wire earlier this season, but he has some interesting quarterback splits that suggest he could be in line for better moving forward. Over the last three games, Tucker has a 7.8% target share with Aidan O’Connell, who is headed to injured reserve, but a 23.5% target share with Gardner Minshew. Tucker saw 26% of the targets from Minshew on Sunday. The return of Jakobi Meyers will complicate things, but a large share of those snaps with Minshew came with Meyers on the field.

4. Rashod Bateman – Available in 92.6% of leagues

Over the last three games, Bateman has seen 18.4% of Baltimore’s targets and has run a route on 82.7% of their dropbacks. He has a 12-250-2 line over that span, just 4 fewer yards than Zay Flowers, who might have picked up an ankle injury on Monday night. Folks…we might finally be here. It might finally be Bateman season.

5. Jalen McMillan – Available in 98.6% of leagues
6. Trey Palmer – Available in 99.6% of leagues

I wish I could just pass on this situation because the real answer is I don’t know how this will go. Jalen McMillan is the third-round rookie who earned 8 targets on Monday night, but he was playing behind Sterling Shepard while healthy before that game. Trey Palmer missed Weeks 5 and 6 with a concussion but was the clear No. 5 receiver before that. We saw a shift after Mike Evans exited on Monday night with Palmer running a route on 100% of dropbacks in the second half and McMillan out-snapping Shepard, which is why I arrived at this order. It also probably makes the most sense to bet on youth and upside here.

7. Cedric Tillman – Available in 99.7% of leagues

I am still betting on Jerry Jeudy leading Browns wide receivers in targets the rest of the way, especially if Jameis Winston gets the starting job, but Tillman was the man on Sunday. He was targeted 12 times including 7 times with Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the game. I am not sure how much we want to chase this passing game, and David Njoku is going to command a large share of the targets. But at least this was promising in Tillman’s first game without Amari Cooper.

8. Mason Tipton – Available in 99.8% of leagues

Tipton led the Saints with 9 targets on Thursday night and ran roughly the same number of routes as Bub Means. More importantly, Tipton was a much bigger factor over the first five weeks than Means – 64 routes to 3 – and with 4.33 speed might be a better fit to replace Rashid Shaheed. The Saints offense has simply not been good since Week 2, so it might not matter, but Tipton is my guy if chasing a Saints receiver.

9. Jake Bobo – Available in 98.2% of leagues

The most likely beneficiaries of DK Metcalf missing time are Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett, but Bobo has consistently been a factor with Metcalf off the field, even with those two receivers available. Since the start of the 2023 season, there have been 77 pass plays with Metcalf off the field and both JSN and Lockett on the field. Bobo ran a route on 90.9% of those plays, tying Lockett for the team lead with 16 targets in those situations. His 22.9% target rate per route is better than both Lockett’s and JSN’s in that sample. Perhaps the Seahawks dial back the passing with Metcalf out, but they are currently first in pass rate over expected. We are dealing with very small samples here, and Bobo could be the clear third wheel while Metcalf is out. Still, that usage pattern makes him interesting.

10. Dontayvion Wicks – Available in 80.8% of leagues

Wicks is worth stashing because of the upside in this passing game, but it is important to keep expectations in check. He ran a route on just 47.2% of Green Bay’s dropbacks in Week 7, fourth among receivers. He did earn 6 targets and turned one of those into a touchdown, but his production is likely to be volatile until he is more consistently on the field.

11. Ricky Pearsall – Available in 94.5% of leagues

Injuries forced Pearsall into more action than was likely planned in his NFL debut, and he turned 5 targets into 3 catches for 21 yards. There could be another big opportunity this week if Deebo Samuel’s illness or Jauan Jennings’ hip forces them to miss more time, but the more likely outcome is Pearsall serving as the No. 4 option in the passing game. Still, he is worth a stash in case he takes on a bigger role or either of the other two receivers misses again.

12. Sterling Shepard – Available in 99.6% of leagues

I am going to bet on youth and upside with the Bucs receiving corps, but there is a chance Shepard benefits the most from Chris Godwin missing the rest of the season. He has run a slightly higher percentage of his routes from the slot than the other two receivers, and he might fit better in that role around the line of scrimmage.

13. Bub Means – Available in 94.6% of leagues

My primary concern with Means is the Saints view him as the replacement for Chris Olave, who is likely to return this week. Means ran 3 total routes over the first five weeks, and Tipton seemingly fits better in the Rashid Shaheed role given his speed. I also am not sure we want a big piece of this offense. It simply has not been good since Week 2.

Watch List: Welcome to the Gabe Davis experience. After catching 2 touchdowns against the Bears, he had 1 catch for 13 yards against the Patriots…The Panthers offense was the most disappointing of Week 7, and Xavier Legette sank with the rest of his teammates. Still, he is on the field a lot…Ray-Ray McCloud has seen his target share shrink in recent weeks…It was nice to see Alec Pierce tie for the team lead with 5 targets, but we know what the gambit is with him every week…Tutu Atwell’s run might be coming to a close with Cooper Kupp expected back, but it is a situation to monitor. The same is true for Jordan Whittington…Darius Slayton is back to a tertiary role with Malik Nabers healthy…Adonai Mitchell ran just 6 routes in Week 7. It is not going to happen for him without an injury.

Deep Cuts: I hesitantly listed Devaughn Vele as an add last week, but I wrote about my concerns that the secondary receivers for the Broncos would be up and down. We saw that against the Saints with Troy Franklin stepping into the limelight with 6 targets. The matchup this week against the Panthers is amazing, but I am not sure how you can feel confident about Vele’s or Franklin’s target share. Even so, they are worth adding in deep leagues and are going to be targets in DFS…Tim Patrick had already been getting more run before news of a Jameson Williams suspension. We could also see more from Kalif Raymond…Kayshon Boutte did not get the targets against the Jaguars, which was disappointing, but he was once again on the field for a lot of snaps…We will not want any part of the secondary Commanders options until Jayden Daniels is back, and it is a bit like whack-a-mole picking who will emerge. In Week 7, it was Olamide Zaccheaus…I am more interested in Tre Tucker because of his splits with Minshew, but DJ Turner has been heavily involved of late…While I would rather look at Bub Means or Mason Tipton, Cedrick Wilson was tied for second on the team with 7 targets last Thursday.

Best Tight End Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 8

1. Hunter Henry – Available in 72.6% of leagues

We might have something here with Henry. He has a 21% target share over the last two games with Drake Maye and is averaging 9.5 yards per target. The Patriots are also scoring more points – caveat for having played the Jaguars – and we know Henry can be a factor near the end zone. The matchup this week against the Jets is not ideal, but he is getting the usage we want to see.

2. Jonnu Smith – Available in 98.3% of leagues

Smith is a difficult case because Miami’s offense is certain to change with Tua Tagovailoa expected back this week, but he has been a target magnet the last two games. After seeing 25.8% of the targets in Week 5 against the Patriots, Smith earned a 31.8% target share against the Colts while running a route on 80.6% of the dropbacks, a season high. Tua did feed him 5 targets before leaving against the Bills, and short passes to a YAC creator like Smith make a lot of sense if you want to protect your quarterback.

3. Will Dissly – Available in 98.9% of leagues

It is possible if not likely we just saw Dissly’s best game of the season, and he ran a route on just 35.9% of dropbacks over the first five games with Hayden Hurst healthy. We don’t know when Hurst will be back, though, and it looks like Dissly will have a role as long as Hurst is out. The Saints have not been bad against tight ends, but they have given up a couple of big games.

4. Noah Fant – Available in 92.3% of leagues

If the Seahawks want to keep throwing at their current rate without DK Metcalf, someone needs to get those targets. As laid out above, that person might be Jake Bobo, but Fant should also be in that discussion. He has also topped 60 yards in each of his last two games.

5. Ja’Tavion Sanders – Available in 99.6% of leagues

I am still worried about his playing time once Tommy Tremble returns, but it makes sense for the Panthers to get Sanders as many reps as possible in this lost season. Sanders has as many targets as Diontae Johnson over the last two games and has run a route on 73.8% of Carolina’s dropbacks.

Watch List: I still am intrigued by Noah Gray, especially in TE premium leagues, but it will be tough for him to consistently return value if he is only running a route on 50% of the dropbacks…Tyler Conklin’s target per route rate has been at 12% the last two weeks, and that is unlikely to get better with Davante Adams now in the fold…Colby Parkinson has been pretty low upside all season, and now the Rams are getting back Cooper Kupp…Erick All ran 1 more route than Mike Gesicki last week. We need one of them to take over the job if there is to be any fantasy value here…Chig Okonkwo had a solid enough game against the Bills, but he is averaging under 3 targets per game and has one game with a better than 70% route participation…Grant Calcaterra did run a route on 82.6% of Philly’s dropbacks in Week 7, but they only dropped back 23 times, and he was at best fourth in the pecking order…My concern for Lucas Krull is the same one I have for all the secondary receivers in Denver. I just don’t know how consistent the targets will be, but he is at least on the field for most pass plays.

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